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Dan Turcotte The Ambitious Magician

Related

• My Magic Photo Album
• Various USA Venues
• Various English Venues
• Past English Dream Venue Programs

Movements

Biography

After his father introduced him to sports at the age of 4, Dan has participated in countless sports, wrestling, golfing and tennis(ing) his way through Fordson High School, until 1977, where a tennis scholarship saw him from Central Michigan to Henry Ford Community College majoring in Psychology.

After college, over 6000 hours of teaching tennis, he realised that he had really learnt how to relate to people and build up a quick rapport.

Close-up magic was always a hobby of Dan's. He started performing professionally in 1988, after moving to Florida, "a great place to get involved with magic in the late 80s".

Through magic meetings and conventions he to rubbed shoulders with such old timers as Mark Fitzgerald, Terry Ward, Chad Long, Bev Bergeron and Giovonni.

For a year he worked at the Old Town Magic Shop at Church Street Station, selling and performing for 7 hours a day!

Although constantly on the move, he never stopped performing in restaurants, private parties, corporate events, and meeting established magicians from each area. From Florida to Michigan to Las Vegas where he fondly remembers Chris Kenner's hospitality:

Following the show I saw a counter girl pulling a string of beads out of a table in the main hall. When I told her that it looked like a magic trick she said Funny you should say that, my boyfriend is a magician and he's coming down to take me to lunch in a few minutes.

The boyfriend was none other than the Chris Kenner.

She agreed to call him and arrange for me to meet him.

I didn't realise at the time that he was working with David Copperfield, he even invited me to visit Copperfield's private Warhouse! Needless to say, I was picking my jaw up off the floor.

He drove us over to a location disguised as a Bra Factory with a storefront. Inside, there were bras displayed all over the place, and a small room with a large mirror and a line of … display bras. On pressing the right nipple on a bra, a door opened.

My jaw hit the ground again.

Before me was a vast metal table with matching seats in a very regal looking room.

This was David's Conference Room.

I had a tour around some other offices and David's bedroom with a picture of Claudia above the bed.

On the other side of the Conference area was a bunch of Polaroid pictures DC floating magicians and celebrities. Chris then took two pictures of DC floating me, he gave me one and posted the other one. He also took a picture of me standing in front of DC's Buzz Saw Illusion!

Chris then informed me that David has the best private museum in the world. I was by this time so drained from happiness, I could hardly stand anymore. He introduced me to the live-in museum Curator (I cannot remember his name) who took us into another part of the building, which was organized and filled with tons of props, posters, costumes, and all other types of books and the most rare one of a kind items in the world of magic. The gentleman gave us a tour. Chris took a couple of pictures of me in the museum.

After the tour, Chris agreed to show me how he performs his rising card trick. He also showed me his coins across routine - a dream experience and inspired me very much.

The previous year he had also been lucky enough to be invited back stage after a Lance Burton show, for chat and a restaurant diner with other trade show magicians.

In 1994 he competed in the International Close-up Competition in London and was asked to come back and participate in a magicians only exhibition; The Magic Circles Annual Close-Up show Jan. 1995.

From 94-95, he worked in the UK until the expiry of his 6 month visa. One month later, he was back in the UK and picked up the work again.

His weekend saw him as the resident magician at 3 TGI Fridays and Paulo's Italian Restaurant. After the first year he moved into mostly private agency events working some of the most prestigious venues a magician can work including: Café Royal, The Lanesborough Hotel, The Grosvenor Hotel, RAF and Territorial Army Commissioning Balls, Nick Faldo's 40th B-day party (1997), where he performed for many attending celebrities including Prince Edward and Sophie.

He also 'did' Mr. Fenwicks retirement party, the owner of the Fenwick chain of Department Store.

During the first two years back in England, he lived in a "real castle" for a while, frequenting the Magic Circle, learning from some great magicians including Alex Elmsley, Jon Allen, Paul Daniels (He even got the change to perform a short trick with Paul Daniels for the magicians at the Internationals after-convention party in 1995).

Moving North to Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1998 ("the 4th best party capital in the World"), he not only conquered the local restaurant circuit, but he met his wife, Andrea, who is now back with him in the States.

An unfortunate family illness led him back States in mid 1999, and he re-built a 5-day week restaurant schedule plus all the private parties he could fit in.

Since cancer surgeries and medical treatments, he has had to cut back on performances, but is "doing OK, (Knock on wood)"

He is now performing again at the Golden Nugget restaurant three nights per week (Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights) He is also taking on private shows as they come up.

Stop by if you can.

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